Coronallacs trail, Andorra. #3
Day 2. Stage 3. Refugi de Julcá to Refugi borda de Sorteny.
We came back to our bags at the bottom of the climb to refugi de Julcá and the day was warming up. I planned to buy some sun cream in the airport but Matt said he had enough to share.
We’d just put our bags back on our back when I realised. “Oh, shall we put some suncream on?!” - “Nah, I think I’m alright” was the consensus, we needed to move and we just got ready. I went along with it.
It was around 1 pm. We had another stage ahead of us and during lunch had reminded ourselves of the distance and elevation. 10.5 miles 4090ft ascent 5127ft descent.
We were booked to stay and eat at refugi borda de Sortney. Regardless of booking you’re supposed to arrive by 5:30 pm for 7:30 pm dinner. It takes time to prepare food for a large group of people and the refugi needs to know before they start. I wonder also if they might have people arrive ad-hoc and potentially want to sell no-shows beds.
We had asked the lady at refugi de Juclá what the terrain was like and it sounded better… timings were going to be tight so we needed to get going.
A climb and a descent, a tricky, wet stream of a descent, deep into a valley ready to start another 2,000ft climb. Halfway up, we passed an unmanned hut, one we’d identified when planning our route for a pit stop. We didn’t stop. No time. I filled my filtered bottle and whilst the day was warm my hand was immediately very cold from dunking in the lake.
The climb was steep, grassy and the sun was beating on one side of my face and body.
We had spread out, Tom ahead, happier than Larry, and Matt and I slowly chipping away behind.
We reached the top of our climb and paused to consider what’s next; ahead we had a big descent, a BIG climb next followed by the final descent to the refgui. Anyone who’s spent long times in the mountains knows the descents don’t come for free. They’re harsh on your tired legs and easy to injure yourself.
During the last climb my mood had changed, I think Matt’s too. My mind was in a dreaded future, catastrophising about not getting dinner and what that could mean for the journey ahead. I was annoyed that we were in another race against time, we got up early to avoid this! Low on energy with heavy packs and a beating sun we were in no state for a race.
In the valley between the descent and the next climb I told Matt I’d managed to cheer myself up. I had managed to bring my mind back to now and became present, stopped thinking ahead and enjoyed where I was. Tom entertained us brilliantly with some stories and our minds were occupied nicely.
It didn’t last, we spread out again and I was left with my own thoughts.
We we’re in a huge basin, surrounded on all sides and had been climbing gradually traversing an edge. Whichever way you looked there was a huge climb and I wasn’t sure which we were being lead to. We chipped away. Slooooooowly. BUT WE DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO BE SLOW. I was depleted. I text Jenn: I didn’t know how I could possibly do the same tomorrow. She told me: “if we were stuggling that meant it was epic”.
It was 6:20 pm at the summit. We were already 50 minutes late to the refugi. Tom was chipper and with 2.69 miles to go said “we can make it” (for 7pm, as had been discussed as our adjusted goal) Matt and I doubted it - I suggested he could run ahead.
I was following Tom at the start of the descent and it was steep windy switch backs, I started having fun, maybe I could move fast? but then I stopped for a photo and Tom disappeared in the distance and Matt also passed and dropped me by the time I put my phone away.
Matt and I hobbled along within speaking distance and Tom had disappeared. I told Matt that Tom was running on for us, the earlier one of us arrived the better our chances.
I skipped an opportunity to fill my water flask in a stream with a mile to go, really thirsty but wanting to push on, a few minutes later I was regretting it. No miles are fast in the mountains. I should be taking my opportunities.
At some point during this stint. I said it out loud, to Matt. The thought that had been bouncing around in my head the last hours. With my degree in hindsight, probably the last thing he wanted to hear. At the time, with a poorly functioning brain, I even thought it might be welcome news to him;
“I might not go on tomorrow mate.” - “what? what are you going to do?!” - “I’m going to look at options for a taxi from near to Sortney.”
Tom text: “are you guys OK?” - I replied that we were 0.2 miles away and within a few minutes we met Tom at the counter of the Refugi - he had arrived 30 minutes ahead of us! Tom saved the day, the owner wasn’t happy with us but we’d secured our room and most importantly dinner. Thank you Tom!
He suggested we drop our bags to our room before dinner - Matt and I weren’t doing anything but ordering a drink and sitting down. Tom seemed a bit shocked at the state (and attitude) of us.
We sat outside and almost immediately got called in for dinner.
At dinner Matt told Tom what I’d said (about stopping) - we didn’t talk much about it.
I remember Tom saying “we’re doing well, the two stages should take 20 hours hiking and we’ve done it in 13” (and a half) and Matt said “imagine how you’d feel about it in future if you stopped now” - the latter (at the time) I didn’t care about, at all. The former did make me think maybe we (I) wasn’t as shit as I was thinking.
Looking back to my messages with Jenn I told her:
“I’ve never been so fucked” - “Tom was a hero” - “It's brutal elevation but also really tough terrain so sometimes even flat bits are slow...” - “I need to look at options for tomorrow I think I'll be so so slow and fucked” - “I might be sunburnt” - “I'm honestly so depleted I feel like crying and this is after eating”.
After dinner, we went to our bunk room. We were greeted by some room mates who warned us they were getting up early.
Matt (or maybe Tom? but I think Matt) lit up! “I’ll stop you there!, what time? - we’re getting up at 4am!” - ah OK. They had alarms set for 5:30 am. Realising they were sharing the room with lunatics they started asking what we were doing and Tom got his map out and we had a brief chat about their days. They were nice.
We had a shower and went to bed. None of us sure if two or three of us would be starting tomorrow. It was 8:18pm.